Rapid inspection device



@Cfp i943 G. P. sou 'RAPID INSPECTION DEVICE Filed sept. 10, 1941 2 sheetsushwa; l

i 15".' se a QLLLQLLU@ m n n@ E| :5: E 1 l lll m L @vlog/nia@ Gefmgie G. P. STUT 2,331,277

RAEID INSPECTION DEVICE Filed Sept. lO, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct 5, 1943 .lil S RAPID INSPECTION DEVICE Application September 10, 1941, .Serial No. 410,316

7 Claims.

This invention relates to inspection devices, and more particularly to that type employing inter alla a photo-electric cell in the detecting of foreign ingredients in transparent containers such as commonly used in the merchandising of beverages and the like whereby a single machine beverages. may 'be speeded up to accomplish the same re- I have heretofore disclosed a device of this sults now produced by two such devices. type in my United States Patent No. 2,132,447, Another object is to provide simplicity of opissued October 11, 1938, for Processes and appaeration and economy in construction of a beverratus for inspecting fluids;` -and machines inage inspection device. volving this basic inventive concept are coming A still further object is to make possible eniincreasingly into commercial use. Broadly ciency in operation of such a machine. speaking, the procedure involved is to rotate a. These and other objects made apparent durbottle at a substantial speed and then quickly ine the further progress of this specification are stop same, allowing the fluid contents, however, 15 accomplished by Ineens Of the instant invention. to continue t0 revolve. The container is then in a full and complete Understanding 0 Which .Will effect looked through by a photo-electric sysbe facilitated by reference to the appended tem to determine if there is any dynamic change drawings, in WhCh such as is caused by a foreign particle passing Fig. 1 iS a Side elevational View 0f e beverage through the beam of light of the optical system, inspection device embodying my invention; any such change being detected by the photo- Fig. 2 is a top view of the structure illustrated electric cells, amplined and used to bring into in Fl'g- 1S play mechanical means causing the bottle con- Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary Side vieW taining the objectionable matter to be segregated Showing th? Optics employed in conjunction with from other bottles and thereby prevented from my mspeftlon device; and entering the Channelsof Mada .Fig 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the While devices of this type may be considered dmmg moans directly employed to Synchro' as both successful and satisfactory, one objecnously move the photo oeps oompnsmg an im' tion thereto lies in the fact that during actual portant Aport of said optics' inspection the photo cell equipment must, for 3o Roferrmg now to the drawmgs (Fig 1) it Wm a stated interval, travel with the bottle in syn- @e Seen that there I employ @base sind Support' chronized relationship therewith, upon which Fg lsltruour assoclaedl IW 1th dwllcl are Vr' said optics are returned to their former position H116; t' r'pulsgs llllg it lsarslaid tlreegg; by means O f a' cam arsangement and .then plek 35 powered by a motor h3 operating through drive up apotpel botslp thls Constant reC1p.rOCat10n belt l5 to drive pulley I6, which through a connccesbsmy entanmg a Genom loss of time and ventional intermediate gear assembly rotates pinacpordmgw somewpat slowmg down the ,pper ion I1 engaging the large gear I8 which extends atlon of solo maohmes For example il' around the lower peripheral edge of turret i2. been found that a maximum Safs mspectlon Invsaid turret is positioned a series of bottlespeed lies around 120 bottles penminute under holding Cups lg (Flg- 3) and a plurality of pul, this system' In small plants this presents no leys 20 are mounted upon conventional spindles problem as the equipment either operates 'at which rotate said cups, when belt 2l which is about that speed or at o' much lower speed but actuated by motor 22, contacts said pulleys. This in large plants such as those found in 'somo 45 rotation of the containers is abruptly stopped, cities, a higher rate of bottling is uniformly pracimmediately before inspection, through brake ticed, which means that two inspection machines arm 23 (Fig 2) plvotally mounted at 24 and instead of one must be employed. This not only Operating against the tension of spring 25 Botrequires a dwelling 0f @Very other bottle in the tles enter the machine through conveyor 26 and line t0 the auxiliary machine but requires an 50 infeed star wheel 21 and leave same with the asinitial extra expenditure for the other machine, sstance 0f Outfeed star Whee1 28, there to be WhiCli` besides representing a Considerable ndirected either to the ordinary discharge conveyvestment in dollars and cents, is undesirable at or 29 or a reject conveyor V3@ with the assistance a time when supplies and materials of this type of revolving disc 30a, this latter occurring when the presence of a foreign particle in a bottle. has

are increasingly dilicult of procurement and when national policy demands conservation in every way possible.

An object of my invention is'to provide apparatus for and a method of inspecting bottled resulted in an amplified impulse setting up means whereby solenoid 3 I, which normally holds reject arm 32 in an open position, becomes de-energized with the result that said arm, which is pivoted on a spring at 33, assumes the position shown in Fig. 2, the bottle containing the undesired substance then being by-passed or rejected when it reaches this point and such reject condition continuing until solenoid 3l again becomes energized, which may be effected by conventional means.

A cap or receiving templated to engage element 34 (Fig. 3) is conthe tops of bottles in the machine, said cap being held in position against the tension of spring 35 and allowed freely to revolve either on shaft 3B or in conjunction with said shaft. As the bottle enters the machine, a fixed cam guide automatically raises element 34 so that the bottle may be secured in place, said cap then descending and remaining in place until a similar guide lelevates it and releases the bottle just as such is about to leave the machine.

Attention isnow directed to the optical system which constitutes an important part of the instant invention, same comprising a source of light 31 suitably screened as at 38 and backed by a reflector 39, said radiant energy being passed through a lens 40 so as to direct its beams through two or more openings 4l of turret l2, the beams then passing through bottles being inspected in a more or less conventional manner.

Particular attention is now drawn to the rear or receiving end of my optical system, same constituting a plurality of photo-electric cells 42 spacedly mounted on a silent or roller chain 43, which chain operates on a pair of open-toothed gears 44 mounted on shafts 45 in such a manner that chain 43 and associated photo-electric cells revolve freely in the path established by said gears upon application of an appropriate external driving force, which in this instance is represented by teeth 46 positioned around the outside edge of turret l2 in such a manner that as said turret revolves the teeth engage 43 and thereby result in bottles adjacent said teeth travelling together in synchronized relationship with individual photo-electric cells on said chain for a stated interval during which inspection occurs.

That is, upon a bottle's coming into juxtaposition with a given photo-electric cell, the focused light from lamp 3l passes through the whirling contents of the bottle and on to the cell. Any interruption in said beam of light, such as would be caused by a foreign particle passing into or out of said light, is immediately registered by the cell, amplified and employed to cause a rejection of the objectionable container.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that my invention results in the speed of inspection being greatly increased, it no longer being necessary to wait for the optics to return to their initial position before starting inspection of another bottle, each bottle in effect being met at the threshold by a photo-electric cell which travels with it during such time as may be required for inspection. the number of cells on chain 43 and the manner in which said cells travel through a given course guaranteeing that there shall be no waiting, but that each bottle shall be promptly and expeditiously inspected.

This arrangement makes possible the elimination of the extra machine now employed in high speed plants, and at little additional cost.

While I have described in detail certain ferred structure in disclosing my invention,

pre-

will be understood that I do not intend to limit myself thereby, nor is the exact method described herein to be unduly restricted, it being my intention that the appended claims shall be given a construction and scope fairly in keeping with my contribution to the art.

I claim:

l. In a device of the character described, means for rapidly rotating uuid-containing bottles about their vertical axes, brake means for abruptly interrupting such rotation, means for moving containers into a field of radiant energy while the contents of said containers are rapidly rotating, a series of photo-electric cells mounted on a chain and synchronized so that progressive cells come into juxtaposition with individual bottles as they are carried through the device, and means to amplify any impulse caused by the movement of a foreign particle into or out of said field of radiant energy, such amplified impulse then being employed to cause to be rejected the container in which said foreign particle is found.

2. In a device of the character described, means for rapidly rotating fluid-containing bottles about their vertical axes, brake means for abruptly interrupting such rotation. means for moving containers into a field of radiant energy while the contents of said containers are rapidly rotating, a plurality of photo-electric cells revolvably mounted and synchronized so that progressive cells come into juxtaposition with individual bottles as they are carried through the device, means to amplify any impulse caused by the movement of a foreign particle into or out of said field of radiant energy, and means including such amplified impulse to cause to be rejected the container in which said foreign particle is found.

3. In a device of the character described, means for rapidly rotating fluid-containing bottles about their vertical axes, brake means for abruptly interrupting such rotation, means for moving containers into a field of radiant energy while the contents of said containers are rapidly rotating, a plurality of photo-electric cells, means for progressively bringing said cells into operative relationship with individual bottles as such are carried through the machine, means to amplify impulses caused by the movement of a foreign substance into or out of said field of radiant energy, and means to cause to be rejected the bottle in which said foreign substance is found.

4. In a device of the character described, means for rapidly rotating fluid-containing bottles about their vertical axes, brake means for abruptly interrupting such rotation, means for moving containers into a field of radiant energy While the contents of said containers are rapidly rotating, a plurality of photo-electric cells, means including an endless chain for rotating said cells adjacent said field of radiant energy so that individual cells travel with successive bottles in synchronized relationship as such enter said field, and means to cause to be diverted containers particles are found to exist,

5. In a device of the character described, means for rapidly rotating fluid-containing bottles about their vertical axes, means for moving containers into a eld of radiant energy while the contents of said containers are rapidly rotating, a plurality of photo-electric cells, means including an `endless chain for rotating said cells adjacent said field of radiant energy so that individual cells travel with successive bottles in synchronized relationship as such enter said field, and means in which foreign to cause to be diverted containers in which foreign particles are found to exist.

6. In a device of the character described, means for rapidly rotating fluid-containing bottles about for rapidly rotating fluid-containing bottles about their vertical'axes, means for moving containers into a eld of radiant energy while the contents their vertical axes, brake means for abruptly 5 of said containers are rapidly rotating, a plurality interrupting such rotation, means for moving containers into a field of radiant energy while the contents of said containers are rapidly rotat-Y ing, a plurality of photo-electric cells, means including an endless chain for rotating said cells adjacent said eld of radiant energy so that individual cells travel with successive bottles in synchronized relationship as such enter said field, and means including an amplifier to cause to be diverted containers in which foreign particles are found to exist.

of photo-electric cells revolvably mounted and synchronized So that progressive cells come into juxtaposition with individual bottles as they are carriedl through the device, means to amplify any impulse caused by the movementl of a foreign particle into or out of said eld of radiant energy, and means including such amplied impulse to cause to be rejected the container in which said foreign particle is found.

' G. PHILIP STOUT. 

